WQ Playground
This interactive WQ Playground illustrates that sodium carbonate (soda ash, Na2CO3) always increases pH over the range of water-quality conditions typical of aquaculture and aquaponics.
Quick-start
The screencast below shows how to use this WQ Playground.
- Drag the target waypoint at pH 6.00 to simulate adding sodium carbonate to culture water
- The amount added (kg & lbs) and the pH effect are displayed
- Click the checkbox(es), then drag the pH 6.00 waypoint to see the effects at pH 9.00 & pH 7.68
OK. Your turn...
Two take-aways...
- sodium carbonate raises pH in all cases
- the pH increase depends on the starting pH
Though not illustrated in this playground, the pH increase also depends on water temperature, salinity, & the starting alkalinity.
Also note that this behavior is unlike that of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, NaHCO3), which either raises pH, lowers pH, or does not change pH much at all.